Question

1.) No one knows why this civilization collapsed

2.) Used pictures as their writing system
3.) Created 365 day calendar
4.) Found in the Andes Mountains
5.) Cocoa was a precious resource
6.) Used bloodletting to please gods
7.) Used quipu
8.) Lead by Montezuma
9.) Influenced the Maya
10.) Tore out heart for sacrifices
11.) Rubber people
12.) People of the jaguar
13.) Lead by Atahualpa
14.) Believed the sun would not rise if there were no sacrifices
15.) Major city was Tenochtitlan
16.) Traded gold
17.) Advanced road systems for trading

Which civilization do the following descriptions best match?

a) Aztec
b) Inca
c) Mayans
d) Olmec

Answer 1

The descriptions listed are best matched with the Aztec civilization due to distinctive features such as the leadership of Montezuma, the sacrificial customs, the major city of Tenochtitlan, and their advanced trade and road systems. The correct option is a.

Step-by-step explanation:

The descriptions provided match best with the Aztec civilization. Here are the reasons: Description 1 can be associated with several Mesoamerican civilizations as many of them declined for reasons that are still debated among scholars. Description 2 ('Used pictures as their writing system') could be referring to Maya's written language.

However, descriptions 4 ('Found in the Andes Mountains'), 7 ('Used quipu'), and 13 ('Lead by Atahualpa') are distinctly associated with the Inca civilization.

On the other hand, descriptions 8 ('Lead by Montezuma'), 9 ('Influenced the Maya'), 10 ('Tore out heart for sacrifices'), 14 ('Believed the sun would not rise if there were no sacrifices'), 15 ('Major city was Tenochtitlan'), 16 ('Traded gold'), and 17 ('Advanced road systems for trading') clearly point to the Aztec civilization.

The Mayan civilization is noted for creating a 365-day calendar, but so did the Aztecs, who inherited and further developed many aspects of Mayan and other Mesoamerican cultures. 'Cocoa was a precious resource' is applicable to many Mesoamerican cultures but is especially well-recorded for the Aztecs.

The references to 'Rubber people' and 'People of the jaguar' are more obscure, but considering the geographical and historical context, they could relate to either the Olmec or the Aztec people. However, the majority of the clues provided align best with the Aztecs. The correct option is a.